


The Vengeance of the Wolf

by Dextrousleftie



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Anal Sex, Gay Sex, Hurt, Love, Love Confessions, Lust, M/M, Oral Sex, Revenge, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-06-01 03:32:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6499156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dextrousleftie/pseuds/Dextrousleftie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sano is attacked and left for dead, Saito is out for vengeance on those who harmed his lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“That’s the one,” a low voice growled. The speaker was standing with another man at the mouth of an alley, watching as a tall figure with a head of bristling brown hair strode by past them down the street. The man being watched turned into the doorway of a tea house not far away, and the two men lost sight of him. 

“Are you sure that harming him will hurt that bastard?” hissed the second man to the first observer. 

“Yes,” the other man replied coldly. “I’ve shadowed him since I first realized that he was still alive and here in Tokyo. I’ve seen him with this guy” he waved at the doorway that the tall brown haired man had disappeared into. “I’ve even seen the son-of-a-bitch kiss him. They’re lovers. Don’t you think it would hurt him if we cut up his lover?”

“But what if he finds out that it was us?” the other voice said even more doubtfully.

A scornful laugh echoed down the alley. “And how will he know that it was us? He doesn’t know that we know that he’s alive. Nor does he know that we still want revenge against him. We’ll wear masks when we take that one,” he waved carelessly at the tea house again, “And if we end up carelessly killing him…well, there will be no witnesses anyway. Gather the others, and we’ll prepare to take him.”

“When will we do it?” the second man asked. “He has a reputation for being amazingly strong, and a very good fighter.”

“Yes,” replied the other even more scornfully, “But he also has a reputation for getting falling-down drunk with his friends often. We’ll just wait until he’s too drunk to be able to stand up, let alone fight back. Until then, we’ll continue to follow him.” The other man grunted in agreement, and the two observers slid out of the alley and joined the bustling crowd swirling down both sides of the street.

 

Sano wandered down the street, making his way home. He’d moved into the dojo with Saitoh, since they were lovers and the ex-Shinsen Gumi’s room was more comfortable than the one Sano used to live in anyway. It was a lovely late summer day, and Sano was in a great mood. He’d won a surprising amount of money gambling last night, and so he was flush for the first time in many months. And to celebrate his winnings, Saitoh and he had engaged in a sex marathon afterward. Damn, that had been good! The Mibu Wolf had just as much stamina as he did, and they’d gone for hours. He was feeling a bit sore today, but otherwise pleasantly mellow and sated. He grinned as he stuck his hands in his pockets and lifted his face to the sun. To top this wonderful day off, Kenshin was making his favorite food today. The little ex-Battousai knew just how to make the spicy fried fish that Sano adored. He’d have to fight Yahiko over it, but he was both bigger and stronger. 

He was going out again with his friends tonight. He’d asked Saitoh if he wanted to come, but his lover had merely lifted a sardonic eyebrow at being invited to one of Sano’s drunken revels. Not that the tall martial artist drank as much as he’d used to, because he knew that Saitoh got annoyed when he reeled home to the dojo at three in the morning drunk as a skunk. So he only got drunk maybe twice a month now, which Saitoh didn’t equivocate about. And tonight would be one of those times, which made him feel a good deal of anticipation. He never liked being drunk the day after, but the pleasant buzz was always great while it was actually happening. Although he knew that he’d be dragged outside tomorrow by Saitoh and have his head ducked in a water barrel to clear it, since his lover could be a heartless bastard. But he was even getting used to this torture.

He smiled a little. While it was still a bit weird to him to have a steady male lover, he was also enjoying himself thoroughly. Saitoh could be cruel, harsh, and unfeeling sometimes, but he was also surprisingly tender and gentle at the most unexpected times. And the sex was the hottest that Sano had ever had, for Saitoh was an inventive and kinky lover with a ton of energy and staying power. And he was coming to like the periods afterward, when he found himself snuggled up in Saitoh’s powerful arms before he slid into a contented sleep. He liked the feel of the other man’s breath on the back of his neck, and the warmth of the Wolf’s bare chest against his back. He’d never slept in the same bed with anyone else in his life, usually leaving once the deed was done. He never would have imagined that it would be so satisfying to actually just curl up with someone all night. 

Sano was coming to suspect that he was head-over-heels in love with Saitoh Hajime. Not that he’d ever tell the ex-Shinsen Gumi that. He didn’t think that Saitoh would want to hear those words from his lips, for the Wolf wasn’t exactly a romantic person. While he clearly enjoyed the sex they had, whether Saitoh felt any deeper feelings for his lover was a toss up. It was certainly impossible for Sano to tell one way or another. This might have bothered him, but he’d known going in that he couldn’t expect hearts and flowers where someone like Saitoh was concerned. Besides, the swordsman was still very much in love with his dead wife. Sano couldn’t expect to compete with a ghost, nor did he try. He just tried to be content with the way things were, and not to mope about things he couldn’t change. 

He strolled through the open gates of the dojo, seeing Kenshin doing laundry in the big wooden tub. He greeted his little friend with a wave and a call of: “Hey, Kenshin.”

“Hello, Sano,” the ex-Battousai smiled gently at the tall martial artist.

“Where is everyone else?” Sano asked, looking around at the empty courtyard.

“Kaoru-dono and Yahiko are in town at the Akabeko, the girls are with Megumi on her rounds, and Saitoh is in the dojo.” Kenshin lifted a slender hand to point to the open door of the large square building, knowing whose whereabouts that Sano really wanted to know about.

The tall martial artist grinned at his friend. “Arigatou, Kenshin. I’ll see you in a bit, okay?” he walked off toward the dojo, while a pair of violet eyes smiled gently as they watched him go. Kenshin was very pleased about his two friends becoming lovers, for both men seemed to have benefited from their new relationship. Neither was as lonely as they had been, and even Saitoh seemed mellower now that he was with Sano. He went back to his scrubbing, merrily whistling a tune under his breath as he worked. 

Sano stood in the open doorway of the dojo, letting his eyes adjust to the rather gloomy interior. Once they did, he saw the figure of his lover in the middle of the wide, bare room. The Wolf was going through his sword katas, each one as smooth as silk and neatly flowing into the next. Sano stood and admired his form, for he liked to watch Saitoh handle a weapon. ANY weapon, he thought lasciviously. He knew better than to disturb Saitoh’s concentration when he was training, so the martial artist merely stood very still and waited with surprising patience for the ex-Shinsen Gumi to be done.

“Hello, my cockerel,” Saitoh said calmly, still moving. 

“Hi,” Sano replied quietly, even though he knew it was all right to speak now that he’d been spoken to. 

The Wolf turned in a half circle and extended his katana in a graceful lunge. “Are you done cadging food off of your friends?” he asked in amusement.

Sano snorted. “For your information, Saitoh, I won a good bit of money last night. So I treated my friends to lunch today,” he continued proudly.

This bit of news actually made Saitoh come to a halt. He turned to look at his lover out of his slightly-narrowed, wild-animal eyes. “Oh? So the world is actually going to come to an end today? That’s too bad, it’s a very nice day,” he jibed as he sheathed his katana at his back in one smooth move. 

“Oh, ha ha,” Sano snorted. “You’re SO funny, Saitoh. I don’t always mooch off of everybody else, you know that.”

The Wolf’s lips quirked up on one side as he gilded across the room toward the tall martial artist. “Of course not,” he said easily, making Sano relax. “Only ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I think.”

Sano glared and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your sense of humor just gets better all the time,” he said sarcastically.

Saitoh nodded as though this was an accepted fact. He ignored his lover’s pouting as he stopped right in front of Sano. “Are you going out again with them tonight?” he asked. Sano nodded tightly. 

Saitoh looked resigned. “And I suppose you’ll trail in in the middle of the night wreathed in sake fumes,” he said in disgust. 

Sano’s glare intensified. “Just because you don’t drink that much doesn’t mean that the rest of us have to follow your example all the time,” he groused.

Saitoh cocked his head slightly. “I suppose not. It would make life easier, but never mind…” he grinned at the expression in Sano’s brown eyes. “You needn’t puff up in outrage like that, cockerel. I’m just teasing you. Have a good time getting falling down drunk tonight, and as long as you never expect me to actually drag you home afterward we’ll get along just fine.” And he moved swiftly to kiss Sano before the martial artist could protest, making him moan into the Wolf’s mouth. Saitoh’s kisses always had a bad effect on him. His knees felt like they were going to buckle when his lover finally released him. “But just think…” Saitoh said, the gleam in his magnetic eyes intensifying, “You could be doing that with me tonight instead of drinking sake,” He paused, tssking slightly. “It’s too bad, really,” he continued, shaking his head in mock-regret.

Sano hesitated. He really wanted to go out with his friends, but he also knew that Saitoh wouldn’t touch him when he staggered into their room tonight. The Wolf refused to have sex with him when he was drunk, which was one of the reasons that he’d cut down on his intake so much. But he only got to go drinking with his buddies once in awhile now, and he knew that he could talk Saitoh into having sex with him tomorrow afternoon once he’d slept off his drinking binge. So he shrugged, indicating that he still intended to go out tonight.

Saitoh sighed but acquiesced. “Very well. I’m going to go get something to eat myself, cockerel. Come to the kitchen with me,” he walked out of the dojo smoothly, knowing that Sano would do as he’d requested. The tall martial artist trailed after his lover into the kitchen, leaning against a counter and watching as the Wolf heaped some rice and vegetables left over from breakfast this morning onto a plate. Then Saitoh turned around and leaned his own back against a counter as he ate. The two men talked in a desultory manner as he finished his meal, for they didn’t often have to have chatty conversations together. They seemed to understand each other on some deeper level than words. 

Saitoh washed off the plate and turned to Sano once more. “I’m going to go meditate on the porch,” he said. “Will you join me?”

Sano nodded instantly. He just liked to spend time with his lover, no matter what they were doing. He followed Saitoh back to the main front porch of the dojo, where the ex-Shinsen Gumi sat down cross legged and closed his eyes, while Sano leaned his back against one of the posts and folded his arms across his chest. He fell quickly to sleep, lulled by the warmth of the sun and Saitoh’s nearness. The Wolf spent some time meditating, but then he opened his eyes a bit and simply watched Sano’s face as the other man slept. In repose, the martial artist’s face was boyish and peaceful. Watching his lover made Saitoh feel more relaxed even than meditating did. He didn’t bother to try to analyze why that was, simply enjoying himself as the lovely afternoon slid away around them.

 

 

“Throw them again, Sano-san!” called one of his buddies. The tall martial artist squinted against the smoky light being cast by the oil lamp in the gambling den, his hand shaking a bit as he lifted the carved ivory sticks prepatory to tossing them again. His eyes kept blurring, not just from the smoke but because he’d now consumed several jugs of sake. He was so drunk that he could barely see the sticks, let alone toss them with any skill. Not that he was that good a gambler even when he was sober…Last night had been a fluke, the God of Luck sending him a few good vibes. But now he was back to his usual pathetic stroke of luck, and so getting drunk wasn’t going to affect his losing streak in any way.

He clumsily tossed the sticks, having a hard time telling whether they actually landed in the circle, let alone whether they were a winning throw or not. He frowned a bit to himself as he lifted a third jug of sake to his lips. He listened to the drunken chatter of his drinking buddies, and he suddenly had a nearly overwhelming urge to leave. He wanted to go home to the dojo and see his lover. He loved Saitoh. Yep, he really did. Why would he want to be here with these drunken idiots when he could be with his handsome sexy lover? What was he doing here? He began to surge to his feet, wavering a bit as his legs threatened to give out. 

“Where ya goin’, Sano-san?” demanded one of his friends in puzzlement.

The tall martial artist shook his head, a movement that did bad things to his equilibrium and stomach. “I’m…goin’ hum. Himm…home,” he managed to get out on the third try. “I’ll shee you guysh tomorrow, okay?” 

There was a chorus of disappointed cries, but Sano ignored them. He staggered away toward the door of the gambling den, weaving so badly that he had trouble actually finding it. He almost ran into the wall several times before he groped his way out the open portal and into the cool night air outside. This helped to clear his head a tiny bit, and he hummed to himself as he set a rambling, staggering path down the street in the direction of the dojo. At least he thought it was the direction of the dojo, anyway. He was just as likely to end up in a ditch as back home when he was this smashed. 

He was so drunk that he didn’t see the shadows that detached themselves from the deeper night in the alley way not far away, and began to ghost up the street after the tall stumbling figure in deadly silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sano is attacked and left for dead. Saito vows to find those who did it and exact vengeance on them.

Saito stood on the porch of the dojo, frowning out at the empty yard. While he wouldn’t have admitted it aloud, he was becoming worried about Sano. His lover hadn’t come home last night. Sano always came home, even if he was falling down drunk. The Wolf had never yet seen the martial artist pass out, no matter how much he drank. He always trailed in in the middle of the night, stinking of saki and smoke fumes, giggling happily. Sano was a cheerful drunk. Now the ex-Shinsen Gumi’s instincts were bridling, warning him that something was very, very wrong.

He heard a soft sound, but didn’t turn around when Kenshin padded up beside him. “Sano didn’t come back last night, did he, Saito-san?” the redhead asked quietly. The thread of worry was clear in that soft voice.

The Wolf shook his head, his mouth a grim slash. “No. I’d better go and look for him,” he added.

“I’ll go with you,” Kenshin said promptly. Saito accepted this help gratefully. 

Who knew how long it might take him to find Sano by himself? But before either of the men could go out the gates, a young feminine voice spoke from behind them. “Kenshin? Saito-san?” they both turned to see Kaoru walking along the porch toward them. Her eyes went from Saito’s grim face to Kenshin’s worried one. “What is it?” she asked anxiously. “What’s the matter?”

The two swordsmen exchanged looks. Neither of them wanted to tell her about Sano, lest it turn out that he had just passed out on a ditch somewhere. But before either could formulate a good excuse, she continued: “It’s about Sano, isn’t it?”

Seeing the startled looks on both of their faces, she sighed and shook her head. “I always wake up when he comes home,” she said. “He’s pretty loud when he’s drunk. But I didn’t wake up last night, and I know he was going drinking with his friends. Are you going to look for him?”

At any other time, Saito would have laughed. Obviously trying to keep anything from her was futile. “Yes, we are,” he said.

She nodded. “I’ll come, too,” she said.

“And me,” another voice piped up as Yahiko dashed up to them. 

Kaoru frowned at him as Saito rolled his eyes a little. This was turning into a farce. “You should go back to bed,” the master said to her pupil.

Yahiko snorted. “As if! Let’s go find that big dunce. He probably fell down and hurt himself last night,” the scorn in his voice ill-concealed genuine worry. 

Saito shook his head. “I’m going,” he said coolly. “Anyone else who wants to come may,” he strode toward the gates, with Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko at his heels.

 

Once in the city, they split up. Saito and Kenshin checked the various gambling dens and bars, while Kaoru and Yahiko looked in the ditches and back alleys. They met together after an hour of frustrating searching, all empty handed. There was no sign of Sano, and his friends(those that Saito had managed to wake up from their drunken stupors) claimed that the martial artist had left the gambling den they were in sometime in the middle of the night to go home. There were some grim looks exchanged when the Wolf conveyed this bit of information. Sano had left to go home – but had never arrived. And none of them had been able to find hide nor hair of him. Where was he? What had happened?

No one knew what to do now. But just as they were considering alternatives(such as they were) they all heard a woman’s shriek somewhere nearby. “A dead man!” wailed up over the rooftops. “Down there! A dead man!”

Saito’s head came up. His amber eyes narrowed, and he took off at a run toward that cry. Kenshin followed at his heels, as Kaoru cried: “Wait!” and Yahiko yelled “No fair!” as he dashed off after the two swordsmen. 

It took Saito only a minute or so to locate the shrieking woman. She stood near the mouth of an alley that was near the gambling den that Sano had been drinking in last night. Her hands were buried in her hair, and her eyes were huge. He strode up to her and grabbed her by the arms. “Shut up, woman,” he said in a tone of voice that made the woman stop screaming almost instantly. She looked at him fearfully, for the expression on his face was not reassuring. “What is it? What were you yelling about?”

She pointed a shaking finger back down into the shadowy alley. “A dead man, covered in blood!” she said shrilly, her hysteria threatening to return.

Saito let go of her and made his way into the alley, his face grim. Kenshin brushed past the woman as well, his heart sinking. It could be a coincidence that a man had turned up dead in an alley when their friend was missing – but what were the odds? He saw Saitoh walking ahead of him in the dim light of the alley, and then he saw the Wolf pull to a halt. The swordsman stood very still, looking at something on the ground by some crates. The red head moved silently up beside his friend, his heart dropping like a stone as he gazed at the form sprawled out on its back in the fetid alley. 

Sano’s arms were spread wide, and he looked like a representation of the Christian God. Especially because of the blood that had pooled around his body. His chest was covered in blood, and his face was a nearly unrecognizable mass of bruises and cuts. Blood had pooled in the spiky brown hair, as well. His white clothing was torn and stained red in big patches. It didn’t look to Kenshin like he was breathing. Grief rose up in the small man’s chest, and he closed his eyes as he heard Saitoh move beside him.

The Wolf slowly knelt next to the body of his lover, not minding the blood that soaked up into his hakima and grey kimono. He reached out to touch Sano’s battered face, feeling empty and cold. He still couldn’t accept yet that his merry, energetic lover was dead. Who had killed him, and why, were questions best left for later. For now there would only be grief, disbelief – and finally, acceptance. As he’d once accepted his wife’s death, he would learn to accept Sano’s. But it would be hard…Perhaps the hardest thing he would ever do.

He expected to find the martial artist’s skin to be cold, the blood congealing. But it was still warm to his touch, so the body hadn’t lain here long. He vaguely heard a gasp behind him, and a cry of disbelieving horror from Kaoru. He also heard Kenshin herding the girl and her student out of the alley so that they didn’t have to clearly see what had been done to their friend. He let his fingertips trace over the bruised, swollen flesh on Sano’s face. “Well, My Cockerel,” he said softly. “What have you come to? And why? Who did this to you?” in his heart a black rage was rising. He would discover who was responsible for this, and every last one of them would wish that they hadn’t ever been born.

His fingers reached the bruised and bloody lips, the ones he had kissed so often. As he let the tips drift over the battered flesh, he became aware of a soft something against the sensitive skin of the pads. It took him a moment realize what it was - and then he sprang to his feet as swiftly as a panther and ran out of the alley. He saw the surprise on Kenshin’s face as he emerged, but he gave the Ex-Battousai no time to ask questions. “Kenshin, you’re the fastest of us. Run and get Megumi-san,” he growled. “And hurry; Sano’s still alive!”

 

An hour later, Saito and Kenshin knelt next to the door of the house that a dozen men had been recruited to carry Sano’s battered body into. It was only a few doors away from the alley, for Megumi didn’t want him moved too far until she’d discovered the extent of his injuries. There might be internal bleeding that would be exacerbated by any jarring. She, along with Kaoru and with Yahiko to fetch and carry for them, was laboring over the martial artist right now. The two swordsmen had been none to politely kicked out of the room, which neither resented. As long as she could save Sano’s life, they would have done a lot more than wait semi-patiently out in the street. 

“Kenshin” Saito said after awhile. His voice and face were almost perfectly expressionless. 

“Hai?” the red-haired swordsman shot a sideways look at his companion.

“I will find out who did this,” implied in the grim tone was the fact that he would kill each and every one of those who had dared lay their hands on Sano. 

Kenshin nodded slightly. He expected this. “How will you go about finding them?” he asked quietly.

Saito frowned. He had talked to many of the people who lived on both sides of the alley, but so far there had been no witnesses to Sano’s being deposited in the alley. He had to have been brought there from somewhere else, since even heavy sleepers would have heard something. Unless he’d been gagged, Sano would have made some noise. And even then, muffled screams would have carried at least a bit. And these house’s walls were fairly thin. With no witnesses, it might be harder for him to find out who had attacked Sano. But he would. He had no doubt about that. 

“Hey, Saito-san!” an agitated Yahiko suddenly appeared in the doorway, holding a folded piece of rice paper in his hand. “I found this in Sano’s pocket, it has your name written on it!”

He thrust the piece of paper at the Wolf, who took it. There were some blood smeared on the paper, but his name was still clear. He unfolded the bit of paper and read it. Kenshin saw his brows contract and his mouth go very thin, as a look of such deep rage passed through his wild animal eyes that it sent a shiver down the red headed swordsman’s spine. “What is it, Saito?” he asked softly.

Without a word, Saito passed the paper to him. Kenshin read the note, which was short and to the point. It said: “Saito. As you once destroyed something important to us, we now return the favor.”

Kenshin drew in a soft, shocked breath as he took in the implications of the note. Sano had not been attacked by footpads or thieves out to roll a drunk. He hadn’t even been jumped by old enemies out to settle a score. Instead, he’d been taken and viciously cut and beaten by those who wanted revenge against SAITO. He looked up at the Wolf, at the carved mask that had slammed down over those hawk like features. Whoever these people were, they would come to wish that they hadn’t attacked Sano rather than Saito himself. Kenshin could almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

 

Megumi washed and stitched the many cuts that covered Sano’s torso. He’d lost a lot of blood, and his skin was pale under the brown. But she was thankful that the martial artist was so strong and tough. Many other people would have died of these injuries already, but not Sano. And she would make sure that he didn’t die of them at all. Grimly determined, she worked away with Kaoru’s help. “Come on, Sanosuke: she thought to herself, :Don’t give up on me now, you stupid bastard.:

As though he could hear her thoughts, Sano went on breathing. His chest lifted slightly over and over, and the doctor took comfort in that small movement. Her needle flashed in the lantern light as it went in and out, pulling the silk thread through the skin as she stitched the dozens of heavy cuts that were all over the tall martial artist’s chest. Finally, she triumphantly closed the last one and with Kaoru’s help began to wind a bandage around Sano’s chest and abdomen. As far as she could tell there were no internal injuries. Most of the actual blows seemed to have been directed at Sano’s face rather than his body. Then someone had used a very sharp knife on his body after they’d beaten him into submission. Megumi was sure that he’d put up a good fight, even if he’d been falling down drunk. The bandages on his hands were split in places, proving that he’d gotten in more than one blow. And his attackers would be feeling it this morning, for which she was vindictively glad. She hoped that Sano had hurt them plenty in return for what they’d done to him.

She began to smear an herbal paste over the martial artist’s battered face. Kaoru discovered a heavy lump on the back of his head, proving that the fools had tried to knock him out first. Knowing how hard headed Sano was, she figured that that maneuver had been about as effective as trying to beat him to death with feathers would have been. She also found that there was some bruising to his testicles when they pulled his pants off. Somebody had booted him in the balls, probably out of frustration and fury when he didn’t go down right away but instead had fought back even in his inebriated state. Kaoru looked away with a blush when she carefully felt the swelling to make sure that there had been no permanent damage. 

Finally they pulled a blanket overt his naked form. There was nothing more that she could do right now. They would have to watch and wait. But Sano was strong, and healthy. She’d seen him take damage that would have finished off a normal man and still stay standing. Megumi was pretty sure that he’d recover, and she sighed a little in relief and tiredness as she got to her feet. “I’ll go tell Kenny and Saito-san that he’ll be okay,” she said to Kaoru, who nodded as she rubbed at her own forehead wearily. 

The doctor walked out of the room, grateful that the homeowner had allowed them to bring Sano into his house. She wouldn’t be able to move him for at least a week, maybe more. She went out into the morning sunlight, blinking a little after the semi-darkness of the room within. Both Saito and Kenshin looked up at her expectantly as she emerged from the house. She mustered up a tired smile for them. “He should be fine,” she said to them. “He’s tough as nails, fortunately. He lost a lot of blood, and I had to put a few hundred stitches in him, but Sano’s too stubborn to die.”

Kenshin smiled brightly. “That is great news, so it is,” he said fervently.

Saito rose to his feet and bowed to her. “Arigatou, Megumi-sama,” he said gravely. 

She shook her head. “I owe Sano my freedom and my life,” she said quietly, “That is a debt that can’t ever be repaid.”

The Wolf hesitated. “May I see him?” he asked her.

Megumi looked at him. She knew that Saito and Sano were lovers. There were moments when she’d thought that she might be somewhat jealous of their relationship, but over time she’d come to see that she thought of Sano as a rather annoying but beloved sibling rather than as a potential lover. She nodded. “You may. He’s still unconscious, but you can sit by him.”

He bowed to her again and went inside the house. Inside the cool, dim room where Sano lay on a futon, Saito knelt down once more beside his lover. Sano’s torso was swathed in bandages, making him look like a mummy. He reached out to pick up the martial artist’s left hand, looking at the bandage wrapped fingers. Sano’s hands still hadn’t quite healed after almost two years, although Megumi was hopeful about their progress. “You gave me quite a scare, cockerel,” Saito remarked quietly to the still form. “For a moment there I was afraid that I’d have to hunt your spirit down in the afterlife and kick your metaphysical ass for getting into trouble,” he sighed, closing his other hand over the top of the one he held. “But it looks like this trouble is mine, not yours,” he continued. “I’m sorry about that. This has nothing to do with you, and yet you’re the one who got hurt. But know this – whoever is responsible for hurting you will pay. Oh, yes. I will see to that.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saito is out for vengeance!

“The real task” Saito said coolly, “Is to narrow down from my list of enemies which ones could have been responsible for the attack of Sano.”

Kenshin gave him a skeptical look. “That won’t be very easy,” he remarked doubtfully. “You have accumulated a lot of enemies over the years, Saito-san.”

The ex-Shinsen Gumi snorted faintly. “You have a point,” he agreed dryly. “Between my years in Kyoto and my time as a government investigator, I made a great many people angry with me. But there are ways to strike people off the list.”

At Kenshin’s questioning look, he made a movement with one hand. “I think I can safely check off all of my former enemies from Kyoto. Most are dead, as you well know, and those that are left would have made a move against me years ago if they wanted revenge. It is far more likely that someone I jailed or killed when I was working here in Tokyo as an investigator is the catalyst for this attack. I caught a fair share of criminals over the years. Someone has discovered that I’m still alive, and decided to hit at me in a roundabout manner by attacking Sano instead of me.” The rage in the lower tones of his voice at this statement was deep and terrible. 

The former Battousai glanced in concern at the face of the man sitting beside him on the ground. He’d never heard Saito sound this angry before. In fact, the Wolf seldom lost his temper, knowing that it only hampered a swordsman and caused him to make mistakes. While he might feel bloodlust during battle, and a certain amount of wild glee, the ex-Shinsen Gumi did not often let anger get the better of him. But this time it was different – these men had nearly killed his lover as a way to get revenge against Saito. That was a thing which could not be forgiven or allowed. He just hoped that this dark rage would not hamper Saito if and when he finally found the men who’d done this. 

“But how will you narrow the list further?” Kenshin asked curiously, not voicing any of his worries aloud. 

Saito shrugged. “I won’t be able to, but I have what I believe is a fool proof plan to find the ones who attacked Sano. It might take some patience on my part, but I WILL find the people responsible.”

“How?” the red-haired swordsman was being eaten up by curiosity now. Saito grinned ferally, and told him. Kenshin only stare at him, and then burst out laughing. 

“That may work, indeed, Saito-san,” he chortled as he wiped at his eyes. “Good luck to you.”

“Arigatou. I’ll get started right away, since I have a lot of ground to cover,” the Wolf sprang lightly to his feet. “Watch over Sano for me, Kenshin.”

“I will. Be careful,” Kenshin replied a touch anxiously. 

Saitoh chuckled. “I can’t promise you anything, Kenshin, sorry.” He waved a hand and strode off down the street, while a pair of violet eyes stared after his tall form worriedly. 

 

Saito crouched on the slates of a house like a coiled panther, watching the building across from him. He was in a shabby, run down part of Tokyo. The place he was watching was the hide-out and residence of a gang of thieves that had at one time run rampant in the city. Saito had infiltrated this gang, arrested its leaders, and effectively pulled its fangs. Even now the gang didn’t have the power or numbers that they’d once had. In his mind, this was one of the high potential groups. It was time to carry out his plan and see about its efficacy.

He finished smearing the rice powder make-up that he’d gotten from Megumi onto his face. He’d used ashes under his eyes, and now they looked like sunken pits in his too-pale face. He’d also rubbed the ashes onto his lips. He knew that he’d look like a death’s head figure by now. He grinned widely as he ghosted over the roof and dropped to the ground lightly beside the building. He darted like a shadow across the street, hugging the wall of the run down house until he reached the door. He rapped on it twice, and then retreated away into the shadows. 

A man yanked the door open and peered into the street. He looked annoyed when he saw no one, and started to retreat and close the door. But the Wolf tossed a pebble at the figure, and he started as it bounced off his shoulder. He came out into the street proper, muttering about “Damn kids,” under his breath as he moved down to the side of the building where Saito waited. 

The man looked into the dark heart of the alley, but couldn’t see anything. He frowned, then shrugged and started to turn away. But he came to a sudden halt as something very sharp came to rest against his throat. “Don’t move,” a voice growled from behind him. 

The gang member did as he had been instructed, his breath panting in his chest in terror. Then the sword slid away, and a shadowy figure walked by him. It paused for a moment – and then turned so that he could see its face full on. A horrible smile spread over the black lips, and the hollow dark pits stared out of the bone-white face. “What’s the matter?” rasped this apparition. “Haven’t you ever seen a ghost before?” 

A horrible sound emanated from the frozen gang member’s lips. His eyes bulged out of his head in terror as he stared at the ‘dead’ man before him. With another choked gasp, the man’s eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out cold in sheer terror. Looking down at the still body in front of him, Saito shook his head. It wasn’t this group, then. The gang member had really believed that he was a ghost – therefore, they still thought that he was dead. He was looking for people who were aware that he was still alive, and that he’d taken Sano as a lover. He melted back into the shadows, going on to his next target. He left the gang member lying where he was in the street. It amused him to think of the babbling story the man would tell his comrades when he woke up. Most likely they wouldn’t believe that he’d seen the vengeful spirit of their enemy, but if they did that would be even more amusing. He wondered idly if they’d go on the straight and narrow out of fear of Saito’s spirit coming to get them if they didn’t.

 

It was evening when Saito finally returned to the house where Sano still lay unconscious. Kenshin was waiting by the door, and he looked relieved when the Wolf melted out of the twilight gloom. Saito was using a cloth to wipe his face clean of the make-up and ashes that adorned it. “How did it go?” the red head asked quietly.

The ex-Shinsen Gumi shook his head. “So far everyone I’ve visited has thought that I was a spirit. While the reactions to this have been amusing, they haven’t been helpful so far. The men who attacked Sano will not believe that I’m a spirit. They’ll know that I’m a living, breathing man. But I’m not discouraged – I’ll simply start again tomorrow morning. As I said, I have a lot of people to visit.”

Kenshin nodded. “Are you hungry? The lady of the house was kind enough to cook for us all.”

Saito made an assenting gesture with his head. “I am, at that. How is Sano?”

“Still unconscious. But Megumi-san says that he’s doing well. She’s hopeful that he’ll wake up sometime tonight or tomorrow morning.”

“Great,” Saito followed the red head as Kenshin led the way into the house and down a hall to the kitchen. There was a round-faced woman bustling around in there, talking cheerfully to Kaoru and Megumi. The three women greeted Saitoh and Kenshin as they came through the door into the kitchen. The ex-Battousai bowed respectfully to the housewife, and asked her politely if the Wolf might have some food as well. She smiled at him, obviously taken with the redhead’s quiet, seemingly shy demeanor, and his exquisite, old-fashioned manners. She replied in the affirmative, and began to scoop rice and vegetables out of the pan on the stove for the ex-Shinsen Gumi. 

Saito took the plate she handed him and bowed slightly as he thanked her. Kaoru glanced at Megumi, and then the doctor said to the Wolf: “Did you find the men who did this to Sano yet?”

He shook his head, still eating. “But I will,” he assured her. “You can count on that. It will just take time and patience.”

Megumi nodded, although she didn’t look entirely happy. While she wanted to see those men get what was coming to them for hurting Sano, at the same time her doctor’s instincts rebelled against the deaths that she knew were coming once the Wolf got his hands on the perpetrators. She was conflicted, but she also knew that the outcome was inevitable. Saito would not be stopped until he found these men and wiped them out for daring to touch his lover. 

After he’d eaten, Saito went into the room where Sano was and knelt next to his lover once more. He studied the battered face of his lover, reassured by the fact that he could see the martial artist’s chest rise and fall as he breathed. “Well, My Cockerel,” he said quietly. “I haven’t succeeded yet in finding those who harmed you. But its only a matter of time. I’m sure that if you were awake, you’d probably try to talk me out of what I intend to do. But since I have no intention of giving up on this, maybe its just as well that you’re still out of it. I don’t want to argue with a wounded man” he added with a wry twist of his lips. He leaned over and kissed the brown-haired man’s forehead, which was the one area of his face that was relatively untouched. Then he got lithely to his feet and left the room. 

 

Saito, Kenshin, and Yahiko slept on the floor of the main room of the house that night, having carried their futons over from the dojo. Megumi and Kaoru were sleeping in shifts, wanting to have at least one person awake to sit with Sano at all times. While he seemed stable, Megumi wasn’t taking any chances until she could be sure. Saito arose and left early in the morning while the sun was still a glimmer on the horizon and the rooster two houses down was just starting to test his lungs. Kenshin awoke when the ex-Shinsen Gumi got to his feet, but he said nothing. He simply watched as the Wolf padded to the door and slipped out into the street. He sighed, curling a slim hand under his cheek. He was not only worried about Saito but he was also, like Megumi, conflicted. But he also knew that he couldn’t have talked Saito out of this no matter what he said. 

 

 

It was mid-morning. Saito stood in yet another alley, studying the two story structure across the way. The Red Dragons had been a particularly nasty group, led by a man who had been from a noble family but had sunk pretty low. Low enough that he’d ended up turning to crime and had planned some brilliant robberies that were carried out by his gang. Saito had tracked the Red Dragons down, and had earned the trust of their leader. He had gone along on several heists, and had been considered a kind of right-hand man by the smart but dishonest former nobleman’s son. 

Saito could remember with clarity the look on the leader’s face when the police squad had raided their headquarters and begun to arrest his men. He’d tried to take Kenjiro alive, but the leader had attacked him in a fury over his betrayal. He’d ended up killing the other man. His enraged gang had vowed revenge against Saito, for they’d been surprisingly loyal to their leader. Most of them had ended up rotting in prison, but the remnants who’d escaped the raid were living in this building. They mostly specialized in petty theft now, for with their brilliant leader gone they simply weren’t smart or capable enough to pull off bigger crimes.

He padded out into the street and made his way to the side of the building, skirting along the wall until he reached a side entrance. There he went through his usual routine, rapping on the door and then withdrawing. It took a minute, but finally the door creaked open and a man with a scarred face appeared in the portal. Saito remembered him – he was one of the gang that had avoided the police raid by going down a secret tunnel that had been dug under the Red Dragons’ hideout. Before he could step back and slam the door on the empty alley, Saitoh drifted out half out of the shadows and let the scarred man get a good look at his made up face. 

There was a sharp in drawing of breath – but instead of any of the reactions he’d gotten so far, including fainting, screaming, running away, and the like – the man with the scar whipped out his sword, and charged at Saito with a roar. The Wolf deftly avoided his lunge and quickly disarmed him. Setting the tip of his sword against the man’s throat, Saito growled: “You don’t seem too happy to see me. I wonder why? Do you have something to hide?” he continued in such a menacing tone of voice that the scarred man began to visibly quake.

“You attacked me,” the Wolf went on musingly. He let the tip of his katana begin to swing back and forth a whisper away from the other man’s skin. The Red Dragon visibly gulped, his eyes fixed on the blade. “That implies that you know that I’m a living man rather than a ghost. Did you know that I was alive already? And don’t try to lie to me, fool, or I will know and will take great pleasure in removing your skin an inch at a time. Is that clear?”

The scarred man nodded almost imperceptibly. “Answer the question,” Saito said very, very softly. “Did you know that I was alive and living here in Tokyo?”

The Red Dragon was visibly shaking now. His voice was a hoarse whisper as he said: “Hai”.

Saito’s smile was a terrible thing to see. “You all once vowed to have your revenge on me for killing your leader, and sending most of your gang to prison. I think that you decided to get that revenge once you became aware of my living presence here in Tokyo. You saw an opportunity in Sano, who tends to get falling down drunk and so is more vulnerable to attack. So you waited until he was staggering home the night before last, and ambushed him. You beat him savagely, cut him up, and dumped him in the alley beside the gambling den he’d originally exited from. You’re not denying any of this, I notice,” he went on coolly. The scarred man jumped.

“Listen, I don’t know what your talking about!” he cried, belatedly trying to work up some outrage. 

“Of course you don’t,” purred Saito. “That’s why you haven’t asked me who Sano is. And I notice,” the tip of the katana moved flashed up to the man’s cheek, “That you have a pretty bad bruise there. As though someone’s fist had met with your face. A pretty strong someone. Someone like Sano, for instance?” another wolfish smile ran over his face, a baring of fangs just before the beast attacked. “You should never have attacked Sano rather than me,” Saitoh said. “That was a huge mistake on your part. A mistake that I’m afraid that you’ll all have to pay for…right now.”


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Someone ratted me out to Weebly, my website builder, and they banned my fan fiction site because it contains adult material. So if you can't find it anymore, don't be surprised. I'll put the rest of my fan fiction stories up on here instead when I can get access again to the computer that they're stored on, since my friend/roommate had a family emergency and took her laptop with her to Arizona. I'm also going to speed up putting all of my stories from my original slash fic site on here, because someone might report me for that, too, and it'll disappear as well. -DL

The Police Chief of Tokyo stood in the middle of the room, looking around in horror. There were bodies littering the floor, and blood was pooling and congealing in big puddles. Flies buzzed lazily in the air before alighting on the pools. The smell was overwhelming and awful. The Chief lifted his hand to his face and breathed into his white gloves, to try to cut the all-pervasive odor of blood and bodily fluids even a little bit.

“Is there anyone alive?” he mumbled through the glove to the police man standing beside him. 

The other man shook his head. “No, Sir. They’re all dead.”

“So no witnesses,” the Chief replied grimly. His eyes scanned the bodies, noting the sword wounds on each one. All of the former Red Dragons had been brutally butchered. And with such skill that it made him uneasy. He could think of only two people who had been talented enough to kill all of these people quickly, neatly, and quietly. One was dead, and the other only carried a blunt sword and refused to kill anyone anymore. But he would definitely be dropping in on Kenshin tomorrow, to find out if the ex-Battousai knew who might have done this. Master swordsmen tended to gravitate toward Kenshin, mostly to challenge him. 

He could take the smell no more. He hurriedly exited the building, stepping over the body of a scarred man lying out in the alley. The man had a second grin, and his dead eyes were wide and bulging with terror. He’d definitely seen who had killed him, the Chief thought. Probably none of the others had, since whoever had slaughtered the Red Dragons had been almost demonically quick. Yet again he felt a surge of unease. He’d almost think that these men had been killed by a ghost. A feral-eyed spirit with a wide, gleeful grin. A chill ran up his spine, as he tried to banish the memory of the Mibu Wolf out of his head. Saito was dead…wasn’t he?

 

Kenshin looked up to see Saito gliding down the street toward him. The Wolf was liberally splashed with blood, drying in dark stains on his grey clothing and in streaks down his cheeks and in his hair. “Hello, Kenshin,” he said calmly.

The former Battousai replied gravely, “Hello, Saito-san,” his violet eyes ran over Saito’s form from head to foot. “I take it you found what you were looking for,” he added rather sadly.

Saito nodded. “I did,” he came over to fold himself up next to Kenshin, and the other swordsman could smell the blood strongly on him. “I’ll need you to buy me some new clothing, Kenshin,” the Wolf went on casually. “Between Sano’s blood and this, these clothes are ruined,” he lifted his wide sleeve to display the darkened cloth at the hem. 

“I will,” the redhead said. “Shall I have Yahiko heat some water for you to wash it off your skin?”

“Would you? I’ll go to the baths later on when it’s not so conspicuous,” Saito replied easily. If he were at all upset over having committed who knew how many murders, he didn’t show it. “How’s Sano?” he asked after a moment’s silence.

“Better. He woke up a little while ago, although he’s still rather confused and out of it. But they were able to get some herbal tea and food down him before he fell asleep.”

“Good,” Saito closed his eyes, lifting his face to the sun. The rage that had driven him for the last few days had leaked away, leaving him calm. He reached into his ruined kimono and came up with a leather bag. “Money for the new clothes,” he told Kenshin, handing it to the other swordsman.

“I’ll just go and buy them, and tell Yahiko to heat the water for you,” the redhead got lithely to his feet. 

“Kenshin.”

“Hai?” violet eyes looked inquisitively down at Saito, who still had not opened his eyes. "I know you don’t approve of this,” the Wolf remarked. “Thank you for not interfering.”

Kenshin sighed. “My choices in life are mine and no one else’s, Saito-san,” he said quietly. “I don’t expect anyone else to walk the same road I have. You did what you thought was right.” He turned away, and then said over his shoulder: “I’ll be back in a little while,” before he departed to find Yahiko and request the hot water.

Saito sat very still, all of his muscles relaxed and warmed from the exercise. He felt absolutely no remorse about having killed the Red Dragons. Compassion could not be wasted on men such as they. They had attacked his lover without provocation, and had almost killed him. Sano had been an innocent pawn in their attempt to revenge themselves against him. Neither compassion nor mercy could be shown toward such scum. They had needed to die like the rabid dogs they were, and he’d simply performed a necessary task. He’d felt more distaste than anything else while he was doing it, for they were no fit opponents for him. But he simply could not have suffered such dangerous enemies to live. If he had, they might have believed that they could move against him with impunity. 

Kenshin had a good heart, Saito mused to himself. Too good, in point of fact. He was shackled by his belief that he shouldn’t kill anymore, hindered by a strong streak of compassion. He even felt that emotion for those who definitely didn’t deserve it. Saito was far more ruthlessly practical. Do not suffer an enemy to live. He should have that tattooed somewhere on his body, the Wolf thought with a wry smile. It was his motto. 

After a time, there was sloshing sound somewhere nearby. He opened his eyes to see Yahiko standing with a bucket in his hands, his eyes wide as he stared at the blood-covered Saito. The Wolf’s lips quirked up at the boy’s expression. “Arigatou,” he said coolly, waving at the bucket. “Just set it down there,” and he pointed to the empty place beside him where Kenshin had been sitting.

The boy gingerly approached him, poised like a rabbit that sees the shadow of a hawk on the ground in front of him. Saito stifled a laugh as he hurriedly set the bucket down, and fled back into the house. He picked up the cloth that was draped over the rim and dipped it in the water, before he began to wash off his face and hands. The cloth was soon a pinkish color, as was the water in the bucket. He would have to wait until he could get to the public baths to clean the crusted blood out of his hair. But he was as neat and presentable as possible with just the bucket of water when Kenshin finally returned. 

The redhead had clothing draped over his arm. He displayed them to Saito. Both the new kimono and hakima were dark blue, and the kimono had silver cranes embroidered on it. The swordsman rose to his feet and took the clothing, to go change into it in the backyard in privacy. He had to literally peel the cloth off in some places, grimacing a bit a he did so. He’d rather liked these clothes, he thought. But they’d been pretty much ruined when he‘d knelt down in Sano’s blood, anyway. Kenshin had followed him with the bucket, and he cleaned his body before he slipped the new outfit on. The ex-Battousai had a good eye, Saito noted. The clothing fit perfectly. He spread his hands and turned to where Kenshin was standing. “What do you think?” he asked.

The redhead nodded in approval. The dark color looked very good on Saito. “You look very handsome,” he said.

Saito lifted a brow. “Better watch it there, Kenshin,” he said in amusement. “Or people will start to think that you’ve taken a liking to men. And we wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea, would we?” he added with a wink. 

A faint blush rose up in the redhead’s cheeks, clashing a little with his hair. “I don’t know what you mean, Saito-san,” he said with great dignity.

“Of course,” the Wolf said with a slight smirk. “I’ll go to the baths now and finish getting cleaned up. I’ll see you later,” he left the back yard, and Kenshin circled the house to go inside and see how Sano was doing. Neither would refer again to the red-haired swordsman’s time in Kyoto, or how he’d lived it. That was the past, which while never forgotten was not relevant anymore.

 

Saito returned from the public baths scrubbed clean an hour later. His still damp hair fell around his shoulders, for he’d wait to put it back in its thong only when it dried. He greeted Yahiko, who was out in the front yard drawing water from the well. The boy gave him a wary look in return, which drew a sigh from the Wolf’s throat as he entered the house. But there was nothing he could do about the boy’s uneasiness. He’d either get over it or he wouldn’t. He saw Megumi coming down the hall from the direction of Sano’s temporary room. “Megumi-san,” he said with a small bow. “How is Sano doing?”

The doctor looked at him with her sharp dark eyes. “He’s well as can be expected. At least he’d sleeping naturally now, rather than being unconscious. If you’d like to go sit with him you may,” she added.

He bowed again. “Arigatou. I will,” he went past her down the hall and he felt her eyes on his back. She had no doubt heard from Yahiko about the fact that he’d been covered with blood no more than an hour ago. But he wasn’t going to satisfy her curiosity. Better that she suspect rather than know. She was a healer, a person who worked to preserve life. Hearing about the work of a killer would not be comfortable for her. 

He went into the room, to see Kaoru kneeling beside the futon where Sano was sleeping. She looked up as he entered. “Hello, Saito-san,” she said, getting to her feet. 

From her expression, he doubted that her apprentice had told her yet about the way Saito had looked when he’d returned to the house. “I’ve come to sit with him,” he told her. “With Megumi-san’s permission.”

“Okay,” she said brightly. “I’ll just run over to the dojo and fetch a few things. Arigatou, Saito-san.”

She padded away, leaving the Wolf alone with his sleeping lover. He sank down next to the tatami mat, studying Sano’s battered face. It seemed more relaxed now that he was sleeping naturally. And he was snoring, a rusty sound that made Saito smile. He’d grown used to Sano’s snoring over the last six months or so that they’d been lovers. He’d had to, since otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten any sleep. “Well, My Cockerel,” he said softly to the slumbering brown-haired martial artist. “It’s done. I found them, and they'll trouble you no more."

Time passed away in a lazy flow. Saito stayed where he was, content to just watch over Sano. Kaoru brought him something to eat, and Megumi came in after awhile to check on Sano. But otherwise they were alone together, and Saito found it a peaceful experience. He thought that he would move his own futon in here tonight, and sleep beside Sano, now that he was out of danger. That way Megumi and Kaoru wouldn’t have to take turns watching over him, and could get some sleep. He’d wake to even the slightest sound if the martial artist were in pain or trouble, and could fetch Megumi very quickly if he needed to. And, truth be told, he’d simply like to be able to sleep next to Sano once more. He had grown accustomed to sleeping with the other man, and he didn’t get as much rest when he had to be away from his lover. 

He had fallen into a semi-trance state when he heard Sano start mumbling in his sleep. His eyes opened, and he saw that Sano’s head was thrashing from side-to-side on the pillow. What he was saying was coming to sound agitated, and his body heaved under the blanket. Saito leaned over him, setting a hand on the martial artist’s bandaged chest. He didn’t want Sano to reopen his wounds. “It’s all right, Sano,” he said soothingly. “You’re okay. I’m here,” his voice seemed to be calming the wounded man down a bit, and the thrashing began to subside. The martial artist’s eyelids flickered, lifting to show dazed brown eyes. The Wolf doubted that his lover was seeing anything right how.

“Saito,” the martial artist moaned. 

“I’m right here, Sano,” he repeated patiently. His hand slid up to gently cup his lover’s jaw, careful of the bruises. His fingers stroked the battered skin tenderly. “I’m right here.”

“Saito,” this time the utterance seemed less tense, and the brown-haired man turned his head into the caress instinctively. “Saito.”

“What is it, My Cockerel?” the Wolf asked.

Sano’s mouth opened and closed, and one of his hands moved on futon at his sides. “Saito,” he repeated. “Aishteru, Saito,” he gasped. “I love you.” Then he stilled, sliding back into deeper sleep once more. He was not aware that he’d spoken those words to his actual lover, who lifted his hand from Sano’s face in something like shock. He blinked down at the tall form lying on the futon, his wild-animal eyes narrowed a little to conceal his thoughts in an automatic gesture. 

Sano loved him. He thought that he’d already known that, for the martial artist was an open and simple soul. But he’d never said it aloud before. And he wouldn’t have now, not if he hadn’t been half-asleep and confused. Most likely he feared that if he became too clingy, he’d drive Saito away. So he asked for little, and tried to keep their relationship as casual as he could. His foolish cockerel, the Wolf thought in faint exasperation. Did he not realize that besides Saito’s wife, he was the only person that the Wolf had stayed with for more than a few days? While he was not a demonstrative person, if he hadn’t cared deeply for the martial artist, Saito would never have remained with him for as long as he had. He would have to make himself clear to his lover once Sano was lucid once more. He sighed, as he leaned over to kiss the sleeping man’s brow again. 

“Sleep well, Cockerel,” he murmured. “We will have a long talk together once you wake up.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sano wakes up, and Saito gets a confession of love out of him.

Sano opened his eyes slowly. He groaned; his face was throbbing, and so was his chest. And his groin, for that matter. Why did he hurt so bad? He tried to remember, muzzily. He had a dim memory of getting very drunk at the gambling den, then deciding to stagger home to the dojo. But nothing after that, until he woke up…here? He realized that this wasn’t he and Saito’s room at the dojo. Where the hell was he? And why did he feel like a giant had fallen on him?

A familiar voice spoke from nearby. “Welcome back, Sano,” somehow he managed to turn his head, although even this small movement made him moan. He saw Saito kneeling beside the tatami mat he was lying on. He stared at his lover, because the Wolf was wearing brand new clothes. He looked very good in the dark-blue kimono and hakima, but why was he wearing new clothes? And when had he gotten them? “I’d ask how you’re feeling,” Saito said sympathetically, “But since I’m sure that its pretty bad, I’ll refrain.”

“I feel like a mountain landed on me,” croaked Sano. “Why? Did I get really drunk and run into a wall, or something?”

Saito’s magnetic eyes went half-lidded, and an expression of anger crossed his face. This startled the martial artist. He’d seldom seen the Wolf angry before. “Saito?” He asked uncertainly.

The swordsman sighed, making a movement with one hand. “You were attacked a few nights ago, when you were too drunk to really defend yourself. They beat your face in, then cut you up with a sharp blade and tossed you in an alley to die. But fortunately for us, you’re too bull-headed to die. We found you the next morning, and carried you to this house. The owners have been kind enough to let us stay here while you’ve been convalescing.”

“Oh,” Sano tried to take in this information. He very dimly recalled having a fight with a bunch of guys, and getting in some pretty good hits in spite of the fact that he was falling down drunk. And then something had hit him on the back of the head, and everything got fuzzy after that…The back of his head did hurt, along with the rest of him. “I don’t get it,” he said aloud. “What were they after? I didn’t have any money on me…Unless they were old enemies of mine?”

Saito’s face closed up. But the wild-animal eyes burned with a bone deep fury. “I’m afraid that it had nothing to do with you, Cockerel,” he replied tightly.

Sano’s brows gathered together in puzzlement, and then he made a small sound as that hurt, too. “What do you mean?” He demanded.

The Wolf made a harsh sound. “They attacked you because of me,” he said bluntly. 

“You?” 

Saito made a subtle movement with his head. “Hai. They were old enemies of mine, from when I was a police investigator. They discovered that I was alive, and also that you are my lover. They decided to hurt you to get revenge against me. I hope you can forgive me for inadvertently bringing this down on you, My Cockerel,” he went on.

Sano blinked. He was hearing something he’d never thought he would in Saito’s voice – guilt. The Mibu Wolf didn’t usually indulge in such an emotion. He didn’t think that he liked the fact that his lover was doing so now. He frowned, in spite of the fact that it pulled at his split lip. “I don’t blame you for this, any more than I’d expect you to blame me if my enemies tried something similar,” the martial artist said sharply. “Blame those responsible for attacking me, Saito, not yourself.”

Saito took a deep breath, and then smiled slightly. “Just what I could expect you to say, My Cockerel,” he said caressingly. “But I can’t blame those men anymore – only their spirits.”

Sano stared at him. “You mean that they’re…”

“Dead,” the Wolf confirmed coolly. “I killed them all. You might not approve, Cockerel, but I could not allow them to live. Not the least because if they managed to get away with this once, they might decide to try again. And on someone more vulnerable, like the boy or Megumi-san. Anyone who was close to me, since they’d proved that they were too cowardly to actually attack me face on.”

Sano could see his point, and besides, he knew how Saito thought. The Wolf would simply have been unable to let this go. It would have eaten at him. So while he wasn’t totally happy to have been the cause of his lover slaughtering the men who’d attacked him, he wasn’t going to berate Saito for something that couldn’t be changed anyway. “Okay,” he said, causing Saito to look surprised. “As long as no one saw you,” he added, for he didn’t want his lover to end up in jail. 

The Wolf chuckled. “You know me better than that, Sano,” he said mock chidingly. He leaned over, and very gently kissed his lover on his battered lips. “Now that you’re awake, I’ll go and get Megumi-san to come in and look at you. And I’ll get you something to eat.” Saito got lithely to his feet. He departed in a swirl of dark blue robes, leaving Sano to stare at the ceiling of the strange room. 

He heard Megumi’s familiar voice in the doorway. “Ahh, you’re awake, Sano-san. Excellent,” he looked out of the side of his eyes (he wasn’t going to turn his head again anytime soon) as the doctor came and knelt next to his mat. “How are you feeling?” she asked, which made Sano laugh as he remembered Saito’s first words to him. Then he groaned, for laughing made a lot of things hurt pretty bad. 

She gave him a look that clearly said that she thought he’d lost what was left of his wits, as she reached out to gently prod his face. He tried to hold in the sounds of pain, but he couldn’t when her fingers deftly realigned a broken nose. “Sorry,” she said insincerely. “But you would have had a major bend in it if I hadn’t done that.”

“You waited until I was awake to do that, didn’t you?” he accused, glowering at her.

She gave him an innocent look in return. “I don’t know what you mean, Sano,” she replied as though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. 

“Have I ever told you that you’re evil?” he gasped as she continued with her examination of him. 

“Once or twice,” She conceded. “Hmm…It looks as though you won’t be any uglier than you were before, in spite of the pounding that your face took,” she sounded satisfied as she voiced this insult.

He snorted. “Thanks for the reassurance, Doc,” he said dryly. “Your bedside manner gets better all the time.”

“That’s because I work at it.” She carefully cupped his jaw in surprisingly gentle fingers. “You’re lucky they didn’t break it,” she remarked.

“It’s almost as hard as his head,” Saito said as he reentered the room carrying a tray of food. 

He was followed by Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko, all of them looking relieved that he was awake. “Har, har,” Sano mumbled at his lover. One side of the Wolf’s lips quirked up as he carried the tray over and knelt next to Megumi. 

Kenshin padded up behind the doctor and Saito. “It’s really good to see you awake, Sano, so it is,” he said earnestly. 

Sano grunted. “I’d say that its really good to BE awake, Kenshin, but right now I don’t feel that way,” he replied ironically.

The redhead nodded, a look of sympathy on his pointed face. Kenshin knew pain; he’d been badly injured many times in the past. Megumi enlisted Saitoh’s help in unwinding the bandages covering the many cuts on his chest that she’d sewed up. Sano nearly bit his tongue as the two of them raised him up a bit, so that they could unwind the old bandages. He felt rather dizzy, and bursts of fiery pain ran through his body. But he refused to make a sound, letting the doctor get on with her examination. One of Saito’s hands braces his back, but the other slid up to cup the back of his neck and rub soothing circles on the skin. This touch helped Sano to center himself, to remain conscious and fight back the pain. 

Finally, Megumi was satisfied. She wound fresh bandages around his chest and upper stomach, and Saito carefully lowered Sano back down to a prone position. “I’ll check the other…Etto…damage later,” she said with a faint blush.

Sano gave her a puzzled look. Saito leaned down so that he could speak close to his lover’s ear. “They kicked you in the balls, Cockerel. She says its healing pretty well, though,” Sano’s brown eyes widened a bit as understanding flooded them. No wonder his groin hurt. But he was glad to hear that he wasn’t permanently damaged. 

Megumi produced a stoppered bottle from within her kimono and had him drink a few sips. “It’s pain killing mixture,” she said. He gave her a grateful look. 

Megumi got briskly to her feet. “You’re doing pretty well, Sano,” she told him. “So I’ll get back to my rounds now. I’ll come check on you later, and someone can come and fetch me if I’m needed before that. Rest, and work at mending,” she told Sano sternly.

He made an affirmative sound. “Arigatou, Megumi-san,” he said, for he was truly grateful. He knew that the only reason he was still alive was most likely because of her skill as a doctor.

“You’re welcome. The only payment I ask is that you avoid this happening again too soon in the future. I don’t like to have to patch you up every few months,” she sounded exasperated, but there was affection lacing her voice under that. Megumi truly cared for him, and she’d been as frightened as the rest when she’d seen what had been done to Sano when she arrived in the alley.

“I’ll try my best,” he replied tiredly.

“See that you do,” with a firm nod of her head, Megumi left the room. 

Kaoru smiled at the martial artist. “We’re all really glad to see you looking better, Sano,” she said happily. 

“Arigatou, Little Missy,” the martial artist said with a crooked smile for her. 

“Now that you’re awake and doing better, it’ll only be a few days until we can return to the dojo,” she added. “And speaking of that, it’s time for practice,” she added to her pupil. 

He scowled at her. Despite the fact that he fought with Sano constantly, Yahiko really liked the martial artist. He looked up to him as a sort of jolly big brother. He didn’t want to go back to the dojo. He looked mutinous, but his master dragged him out of the room anyway, in spite of his loud protests. Kenshin looked at the two men. Saito turned his head and returned the look, and there was something in his expression that the prone Sano couldn’t see that made the redhead say: “I’m going to go as well, Sano. I’ve been neglecting my chores for the last few days, and they pile up. I’ll come back later to see you.” He bowed slightly and left the room.

 

Sano stared at his lover, who had turned back in his direction. “What was that all about?” He asked. 

“What do you mean?” Saito couldn’t really do innocent at all, not with those evil-looking eyes, which were the things that had given him away when they’d first met; but he tried his best.

Sano made an impatient sound. “Why did you send Kenshin away? And don’t tell me that you didn’t; it was pretty obvious.”

Saito’s eyes narrowed, their depths gleaming with an odd light. “Very well. I did get rid of Kenshin. I wanted to be alone with you. There’s something I want to talk with you about, and I don’t think that you’ll want any witnesses…and I know I don’t,” he added dryly.

Sano looked at him uncertainly. He wasn’t sure that he liked the tone of the Wolf’s voice. What could he have to say that he didn’t want any witnesses for? His stomach roiled a bit, as anxiety rose up in him. Surely Saito wasn’t going to tell him that they shouldn’t be lovers anymore? Maybe the swordsman didn’t want to be close to him any longer, after what had happened? So that Sano wouldn’t be a target for his enemies? Well, if the bastard thought that he could get away with dumping Sano for a reason that stupid, he had another think coming…

Saito spoke again, shocking him so badly that his thoughts completely derailed. “When you were out of it yesterday, you talked in your sleep,” he said calmly. “You said that you loved me.”

Sano gaped at him. He had…oh, Gods! “People will say anything when they’re off their heads,” he said, his stomach now tying itself in knots. What he would never say aloud when he was conscious had betrayed him by coming out when he was sleeping. He wanted to scream. Damn it! Why did the spirits hate him so much?

Saito lifted a single brow. “Are you saying that you don’t love me?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leveled a cool look on his lover.

Sano wanted to lie. He wanted to confirm that that is exactly what he meant, that he’d simply been rambling in his sleep. But looking up into those intense amber eyes, he knew with utter certainty that he couldn’t lie to this man. He wasn’t the world’s best liar anyway, being a very open and honest soul; and with Saitoh it was even worse. He sighed; his heart feeling like it was also twisting into knots in his chest. He was about to lose Saitoh, but he didn’t know how to avoid that inevitability…

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he muttered, turning his head away in spite of the pain so that he wouldn’t have to look into those razor-sharp eyes anymore. 

“Then you do love me,” Saito’s voice was calmly implacable. 

“Hai,” Sano said shortly. He stared at the far wall, waiting for the pain that would be far worse than the physical one. 

“That’s good,” Saito remarked. “It would irritate me to think that you didn’t return my feelings for you.”

Silence. It took a moment for Sano’s brain to process what the Wolf had just said. Then his head whipped around so fast that he almost blacked out, as he stared wide-eyed at the man kneeling beside the tatami mat. “What?!” he yelped, and then winced as both the too loud sound and the pulling on the battered skin of his face made his head throb viciously. 

A small smile was playing across Saito’s well-cut mouth. “Did you truly think that I don’t care for you except as a good lay, Cockerel?” he said sharply. “Although I’ve had my fair share of lovers, my record for staying with them was a few weeks at most. With one other exception…” he stared down at his lover steadily. “My wife,” he continued softly. “Because she, unlike those other lovers, held my heart, as well as my body. I would never have stayed with you for as long as I have if I didn’t feel something for you.” He bent down and cupped Sano’s jaw tenderly. “My Cockerel. Do you think my heart so small that it can’t encompass more than one love?”

Sano was mesmerized by the look in those intense amber eyes. “I…” he didn’t know what to say. But right at this moment, he was feeling no pain. No pain at all, as his heart swelled inside his chest and joy made explosions go off in his brain. But Saito spared him having to try to formulate a coherent reply, as he leaned over and kissed his lover with all of the intensity of emotion that he felt within himself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sano recovers from his wounds, and the Chief of Police of Tokyo asks Kenshin some questions about the murders of the Red Dragons...

When Saito finally pulled back, he looked down into dazed brown eyes. He smiled slightly as he ran his fingers over the martial artist’s forehead. “Perhaps it wasn’t wise of me to tell you this when you’re still just beginning to recover from your wounds,” he murmured. 

Sano blinked. “Probably not,” he agreed rather breathily. “But you couldn’t have picked a better time to tell me to help in my recovery. I feel a hundred times better now that I did before,” he added with a lopsided, rather pained grin. 

The Wolf sat back on his heels. “Very well. Then I will not regret my confession. Are you hungry, Cockerel?” he added, waving at the tray of food.

Sano found that he was not only hungry, but ravenous. He hadn’t had anything to eat for two days while he was unconscious, and his stomach was letting him know it. It was practically howling its emptiness at him. “Yeah,” he said aloud. “I could eat a horse right now.”

Saito laughed dryly as he moved so that he could prop Sano’s long body up against his own, since the martial artist might choke if he tried to eat lying down. Sano groaned in pain, sighing in relief when he was finally lying against the hard body behind him. Saito put an arm around his lover, and used the other one to pick up a piece of fried fish from a bowl on the tray. “Kenshin made it for you,” he said as he lifted it to Sano’s mouth.

“It smells great,” Sano began to eat hungrily, finishing the whole piece then licking the juices off of Saito’s fingers in a leisurely fashion. The Wolf tried to ignore the stirring in his groin caused by this gesture, since Sano was incapacitated and likely to be that way for a few more weeks. But he filed his reaction away for another time, deciding to make feeding Sano a part of their foreplay when the martial artist was feeling better. For now, he merely gritted his teeth a bit and continued to feed his lover until the tray was empty. Sano gave a satisfied sigh, for his stomach was now full. Or full for a little while, anyway, since as Saito had noted before the man had a hollow leg. 

Saito tilted his head to look down into Sano's eyes. “You should go back to sleep, My Cockerel,” he said with one of those surprising moments of tenderness that he occasionally displayed. “You need as much as possible to recover.”

Sano made an assenting gesture, as he was already feeling tired again now that he was full. He yawned, and then smiled sleepily up at his lover. There was a contented look in his eyes, a look that the Wolf knew that he had put there. “Okay,” Sano mumbled. Saito carefully laid his head back down on the pillow, and the martial artist fell almost immediately back to sleep. Saito got gracefully to his feet and left his lover to his rest. 

 

Kenshin stood in the front courtyard of the dojo, putting his naturally innocent face to good use. He gave the Chief of Police of Tokyo his patented ‘big eyes’ expression, as he said: “There were a large group of men killed somewhere in the city? With a sword? How strange.” 

“Yes,” agreed the Chief. “Very strange. Especially since carrying swords has been outlawed. I know you didn’t have anything to do with the killings, Kenshin, but I was hoping that you might know who actually did it. Whoever it was was very skilled and strong. There aren’t too many kendo masters around anymore, and most of them seem to gravitate straight to you.”

The redhead cocked his head to the side in a bird-like gesture. “That is true,” he conceded. “But I haven’t had any visits from master swordsmen in a while. Almost a year now,” he added truthfully, for that was when Saito had returned to Tokyo, and had been brought to the dojo by Sano. And since Saito was now living with them, he couldn’t be said to have made any ‘visits’ for a long time.

The Chief sighed. “That is not good news,” he said. “I do not like the thought that there is an unknown swordsman running around Tokyo butchering people. Even people like the Red Dragons, who were criminals. I don’t need a vigilante in my city,” he added grimly. He paused, an odd expression on his face. “The truly weird thing is, Master Kenshin,” he went on, “That I could swear that these murders were done by a dead man.”

Kenshin felt a chill run down his spine. “A dead man?” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

The Chief shook his head. “The wounds looked very familiar. I could swear that they were the work of Hajime Saito. But of course he’s dead, so it can’t have been him,” he gave the red-headed swordsman a narrow look as he said this last. 

“Yes, Sano saw him walk back into the fire when Shi-Shi-O’s arena exploded,” Kenshin agreed blithely, working his child-like innocence for all it was worth now. What he was saying was the truth, after all. Sano had indeed seen Saito walk back into the flames. That he’d survived was a miracle, and one the Police Chief didn’t need to know about. 

The Chief made a frustrated sound. “Well, since that is so, I don’t know who it might have been. If you see any strange swordsmen here in Tokyo, will you please let me know, Master Kenshin?”

Kenshin bowed. “I would be happy to,” he said. And so he would. After all, a strange swordsman would not be Saito…

“Arigatou,” the Chief gave the redhead one last rather hard look, as though he suspected that he hadn’t been told the whole truth. But then he bowed slightly, and left through the open gates of the dojo, leaving a certain ex-Battousai sighing in relief behind him. Kenshin wasn’t sure what the Police Chief would do if he ever discovered that Saito still lived. It might be as benign as asking him to go back to work for the government (and consequently the Tokyo Police), or it might be as drastic as trying to convict him for slaying the Red Dragons. Either way, it was better that he never become aware of Saito’s still-living presence here in the city. While Saito had enjoyed his work as an investigator, he’d only done the job because his wife hadn’t wanted him to work as an assassin or some other sort of criminal. Now that he was ‘dead’, at least to the powers-that-be, he seemed content to just live at the dojo with Sano. Maybe he might get restless later on, and if he did perhaps he might consider going back to his old work. But Kenshin didn’t want him to be forced to do so. 

He went back to his washing, but he was interrupted not ten minutes later by Saito himself. When he looked up and saw who was walking through the gates, the redhead took a deep breath, and thanked the Gods that the timing hadn’t been poorer. The Police Chief might have met a dead man on the road if it had been. “Hello, Saito-san,” he said. “How is Sano?”

“Sleeping,” the Wolf replied succinctly.

“Good,” the red-haired swordsman replied. "He needs as much as he can get right now.”

“Definitely,” the Wolf studied his little friend’s face. “What is it?” He asked shrewdly.

Kenshin smiled a bit. He should have known that he couldn’t keep anything from Saito. “The Chief of Police was just here,” he said simply. “Looking into the deaths of a group of criminals called the Red Dragons. Apparently, there is an unknown master swordsman running around Tokyo wiping out criminals,” his violet eyes gleamed with humor as he made this statement.

Saito lifted a brow. “Oh? That’s disturbing news,” he said calmly. His own amber eyes sparkled with a rather evil light.

Kenshin nodded. “Isn’t it? None of us will be safe in our beds,” he continued blithely.

The Wolf chuckled. “Since we’re not criminals, Kenshin,” he replied, “Or at least, not anymore, I don’t think that we have anything to worry about.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” the ex-Battousai conceded. “Something tells me that this mysterious killer won’t be appearing again anytime soon.”

“Your instincts are correct as usual,” Saito said. “He has no more reason to kill again…or at least something tells me he doesn’t, anyway.”

 

 

Sano sat on the porch of the dojo, drowsing in the early fall sun light. Even though it had been almost five weeks since he was attacked, he was still being pampered by most of the other inhabitants. The exceptions being Megumi and Saito, for the doctor had told him in exasperation that he was just being a lazy lay-about, and Saito had gotten a great deal of amusement out of the fact that he was playing his wounded status for all it was worth. Whenever he would get Kaoru to fetch for him, or Kenshin to make him special dishes, the Wolf’s amber eyes would gleam under his narrowed lids. But he had said nothing to interfere with Sano’s ‘pity me’ act, since that would end his free entertainment. 

The martial artist lifted his face to the sun. He was feeling really good right now. He was healing well, his lover had pretty much admitted that he loved him, and a few days ago while he’d been watching Saito do his katas, he’d felt a distinct stirring in his groin. That was very good news for him, indeed, because he’d been morbidly afraid that that kick to the balls had damaged his equipment for good, despite Megumi’s reassurances that he would heal. Feeling the beginnings of an erection had made his week, as not only did it tell him that certain essential parts of him were still working, it also meant that he was pretty much healed from his other wounds, too. The body tended not to be interested in sex or desire while it was mending, so if it was showing signs of being interested once more, that meant that he was definitely on the road to being healthy again.

He’d only spent about a week at the house of the very nice couple who’d allowed him to be carried there when he’d been discovered in the alley beside the gambling house. Then he’d been transferred to the dojo using a stretcher, and was grateful to be back in his own bed once again. The Wolf had brought in a second tatami mat for the duration, and slept next to his in their room at night. This made Sano feel better, for he just liked being able to sleep near his lover even if they couldn’t share the same bed because of his wounds. He slept more peacefully when Saito was lying nearby, and he could occasionally put out a hand to touch the other man’s shoulder when he was woken up at night by the pain of his mending wounds. Saito usually awoke at these touches, and would fetch him the pain-killing mixture that Megumi had left for him to take whenever the pain got bad. But he hadn’t woken up like that for several weeks, now. 

He was still somewhat disturbed about the fact that Saito had killed the men who’d attacked him, although he tried not to let it get to him. He knew how his lover was. He understood the Wolf’s ruthless practicality, although in this case there had been a good deal of rage mixed in with that sentiment. Kenshin had told him that he’d never seen Saito as angry as he had been when Yahiko had shown him a note that these Red Dragons had left for Saito in Sano’s pocket. It made him experience a surge of warmth to know just how much Saito cared for him, and he put his hands behind his head as he stretched his legs out in front of him happily. Life was good for him right now, and he hoped that it would get even better soon enough. 

He was wearing new clothes that Saito had insisted on purchasing for him. His old ones had been trashed, ripped and soaked with blood and mud. He himself had agreed to let his lover buy him clothing, but only if it was plain stuff much like his old clothes had been. Saito had given in to his insistence, saying dryly that simple clothes suited Sano’s personality best, anyway. He refused to be insulted by this observation, because he was at heart a pretty simple guy. He was happy to be with his friends and his lover, and to go gambling occasionally with his drinking buddies. Although they would just be his friends from now on, for he intended to give up alcohol. This whole thing would never have happened if he hadn’t been falling-down drunk, for he could have taken on that whole gang if he’d been sober. If being drunk meant being vulnerable, then from now on he would be sober as a judge. 

Ahh, well. There were other things he could spend his time on besides going on drinking binges. As though this thought had conjured him, Sano distinctly felt someone come and stand over him. “Hello, Saito,” he said without opening his eyes.

“Hello, Cockerel. Don’t let me disturb your convalescence,” the Wolf replied dryly. 

“You’re not,” Sano said easily, finally opening his eyes to look up at his lover. 

Saito snorted. “I’m sure,” he drawled. He paused. “I’m finished with my sword forms, Sano. I was wondering if you might like to take your ‘convalescence’ inside,” there was something in his voice that made Sano sit up and take notice, literally as well as figuratively. 

“Ohh?” he said, looking hopefully up at his lover.

The Wolf’s mouth spread into a thin, sensual smile. “I have a sure-fire way of speeding it along,” he growled softly, making Sano shiver faintly. Oh, his body was DEFINITELY showing signs of recovery, he thought happily. 

He put out a hand so that Saito could pull him to his feet. “I’m all for getting better,” he said. “Especially when you’re going to be the one playing doctor, Saito.”

Amber eyes burned with that banked fire, that always made his breath come short and his body tighten. “I’ll be sure to take your temperature, My Cockerel,” he purred. He reached out and took Sano’s arm, beginning to lead the bemused, turned-on man along toward their room. The martial artist went tamely, looking forward to something he hadn’t been sure he’d ever be able to do again. But if the raging hard-on in his pants was anything to go by, he didn’t have to worry anymore…


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hot sexy times and the end of the story.

Saitoh pulled Sano along to their room, his amber eyes gleaming with anticipation. He opened the sliding door and went inside with his lover still in tow. He turned to look at Sano, who was already flushing and panting a little. He smiled wickedly. “Well, my Cockerel” he purred. “Shall I demonstrate some of my fighting techniques to you? Especially” his eyes went low lidded, “my SPECIAL skills with a blade.”

Sano nodded wordlessly. The Wolf’s smile widened. “Wonderful. These skills do have a requirement, however” he continued in those deep, caressing tones. “You must be naked for me to effectively show them to you.”

Sano reached up with shaking fingers to begin removing his new jacket. His lover watched him approvingly with hot eyes, making the martial artist shiver in a mixture of anticipation and lust. He was all too acutely aware of the scars that decorated his torso, however. He looked like a road map. He felt somewhat self conscious about them, and he looked down at his own chest with a frown. “What is it, Cockerel?” Saitoh asked, seeing his change in mood. 

“I…” Sano ran his fingers over the ridged scars slowly. “These bother me” he said honestly.

Saitoh cocked his head. “Why? You’ve been scarred before.”

“Yeah, I know,” the martial artist replied with a shake of his head. “But there’s just so damn many of them…”

The Wolf laughed softly. “Are you concerned about your beauty, My Cockerel?” he asked in amusement. “Are you worried that I won’t find you as appealing now because of them?”

Sano felt a blush crawl up his cheeks. “Sort of” he replied stiffly.

The ex-Shinsen Gumi shook his head as he walked across the floor toward his lover. “Ah, vanity. But I must say - it’s very cute, Sano. Especially when you consider the fact that I have much worse scarring on my body…” he set a hand on his chest, reminding Sano of the terrible burn scars that covered part of the Wolf’s chest and back. “And yet you still find me appealing. Do you think me more shallow than you?”

He’d never thought about it that way. Whenever Sano saw those scars on Saitoh’s body, all he wanted to do was kiss and caress them, to somehow wash away the pain that each one represented. Why was he worried about a few thin knife scars? He knew that they wouldn’t turn his lover off. “Gomen,” he said aloud. “You’re right. I’m just being silly,” he added with a shrug.

Saitoh grinned. “You’re adorable when you’re being silly,” he murmured, making the martial artist glare at him. “I’m not a puppy” Sano spat.

“Close enough,” the Wolf replied wickedly. “You often remind me of a great, oversized puppy. One I really, REALLY want to pet” he added as he closed the rest of the distance between them. Before Sano could protest again, a hand curled around the back of his neck and drew him down for a deep, tonguing kiss that left him moaning helplessly into that hard mouth. Saitoh invaded him, and that wicked tongue flickered over everything within his mouth until he was nearly trembling. Two fingers caressed the back of his neck, while the free hand ghosted down to his crotch to close gently over the bulge displayed there. He made loud “Mmm!” noises into the kiss as that hand began to make circles on his erection. 

Saitoh gave a last lazy lick at his lips as the Wolf lifted his head away at last. “It’s good to see that all of you is feeling better” he said, putting more pressure on the bulge under his fingers to make Sano gasp and jerk.

“Yeah” was all that the martial artist managed to get out. “Ugh!” he added, his head going back as his lover stroked over the mound in his pants in a way that was threatening to make his knees buckle altogether. Saitoh took advantage of this, and began to lay kisses along the length of his tilted neck. When the ex-Shinsen Gumi sucked roughly at his collarbone, Sano’s legs finally did give way altogether. He sank to his knees, and Saitoh went with him easily. The Wolf’s tongue continued to trace over his skin, even as the swordsman pushed him back onto the tatami mat behind them. 

Saitoh bent over him that wicked smile once more on his face. “Let me show you just how much I don’t mind these scars, My Cockerel” he said softly, before he leaned down to begin to trace each scar individually with his tongue tip. Sano moaned, his back arching into these fabulous caresses as his fingers tried to burrow into the mat on either side of him. “Saitoh,” he choked, making the Wolf chuckle against his skin.

“Sensitive, aren’t they?” he remarked, but Sano couldn’t answer coherently. 

As a variation on those wonderful, terrible caresses, the swordsman began to lick and suck at Sano’s nipples. He’d long ago learned just how sensitive these brown nubs were, and he took ruthless advantage of that fact. The martial artist was writhing a bit now, one of his hands rising to clutch at the black hair that was coming loose from its tail. When he bit delicately at the left nipple, Sano cried out loudly and shuddered. 

He lifted his hips when Saitoh’s hands hooked in the waistband of his white cotton pants and began to pull them smoothly down. He yanked the pants off and tossed them away easily, his wild eyes coming to rest on the cock twitching and leaking between Sano’s thighs. “Definitely all healed up” he murmured as he curled a hand around the base and leaned over to blow hot breath over the tip. Sano jumped and mewled, his heels scoring at the mat as Saitoh extended his tongue and flicked the tip over the pink head. He lapped at it, gathering up the pre cum with his tongue. The martial artist gritted his teeth and panted loudly, his fingers spasming wildly. One of Saitoh’s hands moved down to tenderly cradle the poor abused testicles. The swelling and bruising were gone, and Sano felt no pain as fingers softly palmed his balls in time with the Wolf’s sweet torture of his cock. 

A ghost of a laugh, and then a warm mouth engulfed him and began to suck. Sano groaned, pushing up with his hips to get more of this sensation. He buried a hand in the coal black hair again, tugging at it as Saitoh drove him wild with his talented mouth. A tongue tip slid under his foreskin, and the martial artist writhed for him. Saitoh’s head began to bob expertly, and Sano knew that he wouldn’t last much longer. He managed a low cry of warning, before he surged upward and came into the mouth sucking at him so wonderfully. 

Sano fell back on thee tatami mat, limp and unmoving. He panted heavily for breath, his brown eyes glazed. Saitoh lifted his head, that wicked smile once more flitting across his mouth. He sat back on his heels, looking down at his annihilated lover. Then he reached up and began to remove his clothes, folding them neatly in a pile. He pulled off his head band, letting his hair fall around his shoulders. When he’d been a police investigator, he’d had to cut it off ruthlessly. But he’d allowed it to grow back when he was recuperating from the injuries he’d received in the explosion, and now it was past shoulder length. Sano liked it long, for he could bury his fingers in it easily. He watched with dazed eyes as his lover removed the last of his clothing, revealing that strong, powerful body with the ugly dark burn scars across the broad chest. 

Sano finally got enough energy back to push himself up on his elbows. He made a motion with his hands, telling Saitoh to come nearer. The Wolf complied, and knelt down next to the brown haired man. Sano moved a little bit more, leaning forward to set his hands at Saitoh’s waist as he began to kiss the skin of his lover’s chest. Tenderly he lapped at the slick dark scar tissue, trying to show how much he loved Saitoh with his mouth and hands. The Wolf made low noises of desire and approval as Sano laved at his nipples, then slid down so that he could kiss his way down a flat stomach. Arriving in Saitoh’s lap, he opened his mouth and began to demonstrate his own cock sucking skills. He’d been really awkward at this at first, but over time had become practiced. He felt strong fingers close in his spiky brown hair as he moved his head up and down, careful to keep his teeth from scraping along the thick length. He used his tongue to caress the underside, and Saitoh groaned above his head.

“Enough, Cockerel,” gasped Saitoh, pushing his head away at last. Sano licked his lips as he looked up at his lover, seeing the amber eyes half-lidded and full of a darkness that made his body surge back to life once more.

Saitoh’s lips curled in a sultry smile as he moved away for a moment. When he returned, Sano saw that he held a length of cloth in his hands. “I wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself, My Cockerel” he purred. “So I’m going to make sure that you can’t,” and he grabbed the martial artist’s hands, drawing them over his head so that the Wolf could bind Sano's wrists with the cloth. 

Sano gasped, his chest heaving, as Saitoh bound his wrists together. This wasn’t the first time that the Wolf had done this to him, and over time he’d found that he liked a little bondage. It was a strange but pleasant sensation, to be totally helpless. He put himself totally into his lover’s hands, knowing that Saitoh would take care of him and would never push him past his boundaries. He felt the Wolf kiss his palms before he lay Sano’s bound hands down on the mat. Then he slid down until he was between the martial artist’s spread legs. He lifted Sano’s legs, spreading them even wider, even as he looked down at his lover’s face. 

“Have I ever told you that you have a nice ass, My Cockerel?” he asked as he used one hand to stroke over the cheeks. 

Sano gasped. “I’m glad you like it,” he said breathlessly.

“Hai. Although it could use a little color,” and before Sano could protest or question, he lifted his hand and brought it down on one of the cheeks of Sano’s ass lightly. 

The martial artist cried out softly as Saitoh began to spank him. His lover never hit him very hard, and he’d gotten used to the combination of pain and pleasure when Saitoh did this to him. He squirmed as the spanking continued, loving the heat that blossomed under those hard hands. He was very worked up by the time that the Wolf finally finished, and he panted desperately as Saitoh lay down on his stomach and parted the cheeks of that excoriated ass with his fingers. A tongue lazed down over his perineum, then moved in a leisurely fashion between the reddened cheeks to lick at the twitching ring of tissue. Sano cried out wildly as his lover began to rim him with ferocious skill, his hips lunging upward to get more of this unbelievably good caress. His bound hands jerked above his head, and his legs were shaking as that tongue pushed into his body and began to move in a near corkscrew manner. Damn, but he was going to lose his mind! This felt so fucking good! 

Saitoh continued to assault his lover until Sano was driven nearly to the point of orgasm again. Then he withdrew his tongue, to a near whimper of protest from Sano. He moved away briefly to grab the jar of oil that he used as a lubricant, returning between Sano’s parted legs again. The martial artist moaned when a slick finger probed into his body, twisting within him in a way that made his head feel like it was going to explode. “So tight” hissed Saitoh, adding another finger to a loud gasp. “You’re so tight, Cockerel. I can’t wait to fuck you.”

Sano cried out wildly at these words, heat flashing through his body. All he wanted was fro Saitoh to plow into him, to take him hard, to remind him that he was alive and healthy and rutting like an animal with the man he loved. “Then fuck me” he ground out between his gritted teeth. “Fuck me, Saitoh. Now.”

“As you wish” the Wolf replied darkly, jerking the three fingers buried in Sano out of that tight body. He draped Sano’s long legs over his shoulders, as his oil slicked cock butted up against the puckered ring of the martial artist’s anus. He pushed, and the tip of his erection sank into that tight heat. Sano groaned, a mix of pain and pleasure at this intrusion flowing through him. “More” he begged, and the Wolf gave him what he wanted. Saitoh’s cock sank into him in several long pushes, and he panted deeply as the swordsman paused for him to adjust. Hard hands stroked his thighs, as Sano was overwhelmed in all of his senses by his lover.

He looked up into Saitoh’s face. The amber eyes were half closed, the hard mouth twisted into a grimace of pleasure. The raven black hair hung around his broad shoulders like a veil. He was the most beautiful animal that Sagara Sanosuke had ever seen, and he felt lust surge through him like a tidal wave. He lifted his hips in a silent plea, and then cried out deliriously as Saitoh began to stroke into his body slowly but surely. “Yes!” he cried, his back arching, loving every moment of this. Even the feel of Saitoh’s hips slapping against his reddened ass didn’t really hurt – it just added to the overall experience. 

He writhed and twisted as Saitoh began to move within him harder and faster. He was nearly sobbing with pleasure, wishing desperately that he could touch his own cock. It was so hard that it hurt, and he made unconscious begging noises in the back of his throat as his lover plowed into his body over and over. Fortunately for him, Saitoh knew what he wanted. The Wolf left a hand fall down into Sano’s lap, even as he thrust into the tight body under him with even more force. His lips pulled back from his teeth as he ground into Sano, and his hand closed over the martial artist’s cock and began to stroke it in time with each hard thrust. 

“Ahh, ahh, Saitoh! Yes, yes, yes!” screamed Sano, as a thumb dug in under the head of his erection at the same time that the swordsman changed the angle of his hips slightly. He nailed Sano’s prostate dead on, and the tall man shrieked in ecstasy as he came all over Saitoh’s hand and his own stomach. 

Saitoh was close to his own end, and having those internal muscles convulse and close around him as he moved was almost too much. He threw his head back, a deep groan ripped from his chest, as he pushed in one last time and came within the shuddering body under him. It seemed to him that he climaxed eternally, pleasure ripping through him. He husked out Sano’s name as he came, every muscle in his body tensing like bow strings. 

Saitoh gulped for breath in the aftermath, slumped between Sano’s legs. The martial artist was almost completely out of it, all his energy spent. He lay very still, and only his breathing showed that he still lived. After all, it had only been five weeks since he’d almost died. He still wasn’t totally recovered from his wounds, and Saitoh had worn him out. He barely even moaned when Saitoh withdrew from his body and moved around to untie his hands. And he only made a small sound as the Wolf then kissed the wrists that had been tied, before he padded away to fetch some water and a cloth to clean Sano up with. 

Languidly Sano opened his brown eyes a slit to watch as the Wolf wiped down his sweat slicked skin. The cool cloth felt good, and he made a happy sound. Saitoh smiled slightly. “I do believe I wore you out, My Cockerel,” he mused. “I never thought I’d live to see the day. Ahh, well. You should sleep now, and try to get some energy back. Megumi-san will not forgive me if I set back your recovery.” He bent his head and kissed Sano softly on the lips. “Sleep” he said again as he pulled the blanket over Sano’s naked form. “I’ll wake you for dinner,” he added in a laughing tone of voice. He knew that the martial artist would be pissed if he missed dinner. 

Sano turned just enough that he was lying on his side, as lying on his back was a bit uncomfortable right now. He snuggled under the cover, his eyes closing again. “M’kay,” he murmured. He paused. “Saitoh?” he said as the swordsman rose to his feet to clean himself up and get dressed.

“Hai?”

“Love you…” Sano mumbled before he fell into a deep sleep. His light snores almost at once began to fill the room.

Saitoh looked down at his slumbering lover. “I know, Cockerel,” he replied quietly, knowing that Sano couldn’t hear him. “That knowledge is as necessary to me as breathing. I will never misuse this gift, I promise.” He slipped out of the room, leaving behind a Sano who was smiling in his sleep. 

 

The End


End file.
